For cycling enthusiasts and everyday riders alike, finding the perfect “Bike Places” is key to enjoying the ride. Each year, PeopleForBikes, through its City Ratings program, meticulously evaluates cities to identify the best locations for bicycling. This data-driven approach not only highlights top performers but also provides crucial insights for city leaders aiming to enhance their bike networks for community well-being and safety.
City Ratings utilize the Bicycle Network Analysis to score cities based on factors crucial for a good biking experience, summarized by the acronym SPRINT: safe speeds, protected bike lanes, reallocated space, intersection treatments, network connections, and trusted data. A high score signals a city where safe and comfortable bike routes connect most destinations, accommodating cyclists of all ages and abilities. For larger urban centers, a score of 50 is considered the benchmark for being a truly bike-friendly place.
This report summarizes the 2023 City Ratings, offering a snapshot of the best “bike places” and key trends in urban cycling infrastructure across the U.S. and internationally.
Overview of City Ratings program
Top US Bike Places by City Size
The 2023 City Ratings showcase a diverse range of “bike places” excelling in cycling infrastructure across different city sizes. Leading the pack in the U.S. are:
Top Small Bike Places
Provincetown, Massachusetts (Provincetown, Massachusetts) takes the crown as the best small city for biking.
Top Medium Bike Places
Davis, California (Davis, California) stands out as the top medium-sized city, consistently recognized for its commitment to cycling.
Top Large Bike Places
Minneapolis, Minnesota (Minneapolis, Minnesota) has achieved remarkable improvement, jumping to the #1 position among large U.S. cities. Minneapolis’s score increased by an impressive 31 points from 2022 to 2023, demonstrating significant strides in enhancing its bike network.
Number of US cities rated in 2023 by population
Notably, several cities have made significant progress and joined the ranks of top “bike places”. Milwaukee, Wisconsin (Milwaukee, Wisconsin), a large city, demonstrated substantial improvement, increasing its score from 35 to 45. This enhancement in bike infrastructure is reflected in Wisconsin’s impressive ridership growth, outpacing the Midwest region with a 20% increase in weekend rides and a 27% rise in weekday rides compared to 2019.
Longmont, Colorado (Longmont, Colorado) also made its debut in the top 10 medium cities, with its score climbing from 36 to 59. Among small cities, newcomers making their mark as excellent “bike places” include Blue Diamond, Nevada (Blue Diamond, Nevada), Murdock, Nebraska (Murdock, Nebraska), Shorewood, Wisconsin (Shorewood, Wisconsin), and Mifflinburg, Pennsylvania (Mifflinburg, Pennsylvania). Jackson, Wyoming (Jackson, Wyoming) also entered the top 10 small cities for the first time, highlighting the growing commitment to cycling across diverse locations.
Top 10 cities by size in City Ratings
Key Findings from City Ratings: What Makes a Great Bike Place?
Analyzing the 2023 City Ratings reveals several key insights into what distinguishes top “bike places” from others.
Average City Scores and Benchmarks
The average score among all U.S. cities is 23 out of 100, indicating significant room for improvement in bike infrastructure nationwide. In contrast, the top 10 cities average a score of 55 out of 100, showcasing the high standards set by leading “bike places”.
Average City Ratings scores for all and top US cities
Notably, only 5% of U.S. cities achieve a score of 50 or higher, the threshold for being considered a great place for bicycling. More than half of U.S. cities score between 10 and 30, underscoring the ongoing need for investment in better bike networks to create more accessible and safe “bike places”.
Distribution of US cities by City Ratings score
State-Level Performance
Among medium and large cities (populations over 50,000), the top-scoring city in each state varies widely, from Davis, California (77) to Cheyenne, Wyoming (7). This disparity highlights the uneven distribution of quality “bike places” across the U.S.
Top City Ratings score by state for medium and large cities
The Impact of Speed Limits on Bikeability
Speed limits significantly influence City Ratings scores, emphasizing the critical role of safe speeds in creating better “bike places”. Currently, just over half of U.S. cities have residential speed limits of 25 mph or less. Cities with higher residential speed limits (30 mph or greater) have a clear opportunity to enhance bike network safety by reducing speeds.
Residential speed limits in US cities
Reducing speed limits, especially combined with improved bicycle infrastructure, can significantly improve the safety and appeal of roads for cyclists. The following chart outlines the recommended bike infrastructure based on road speed limits to enhance a city’s bike score and create more desirable “bike places”.
Speed limits and recommended bike infrastructure
Long-Term Trends in City Ratings
With six years of City Ratings data, it’s possible to observe long-term trends in bike network quality. Improved data quality over the years also contributes to score changes. The chart below illustrates the five-year trend for the top 10 large cities, demonstrating the progress of leading “bike places” over time.
City Ratings scores over time for top 10 large cities
Conclusion: Shaping Better Bike Places for the Future
PeopleForBikes’ City Ratings program serves as a valuable tool for cities to benchmark their progress in developing quality bike networks and identify best practices. By utilizing this data, city leaders, decision-makers, and advocates can work together to create improvements that make bicycling better and safer for everyone, ultimately fostering more and better “bike places” in communities across the nation and beyond.
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